Babycat Milkbar Opens in Wilton Ingredients Amy Kundrat May 12, 2011 With a cup of iced Ruby Slippers tea in hand, I made my way through Babycat Milkbar, Fairfield County's latest pop up shop and cafe in Wilton. The brainchild of Jeena Choi, Babycat Milkbar is a temporary shop designed as a gathering space and small retail hub for coffee, tea and often hard-to-find locally sourced treats. The shop's items include the owners own brand of tea, Mamacat’s Q. Tea and others we know and love such as Cake Box in Ridgefield, SoNo Baking Company in Norwalk, Red Bee Apiary in Weston, Zumbach's Gourmet Coffee in New Canaan as well as other local artisans, photographers and crafters. Read More
Arogya Tea in Westport Ingredients Local Artisan Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Tea And Coffee Liz Rueven May 10, 2011 Photography by Pam Zaremba Woodsy, flowery and herbal scents wafted towards the entrance of AROGYA as I sought shelter from the cold drizzle of the damp, spring day. Part tea boutique, part apothecary, AROGYA is committed to providing the ultimate tea drinking experience to novice and devoted tea connoisseurs alike. There were two contemporary glass teapots filled with steaming liquid on the reception desk. I made a bee line for the golden hued warmth, placed both hands around the handsome ceramic cup that was offered to me and inhaled the deep, earthy flavor of Pu-erh. The knowledgeable and friendly woman behind the counter explained that I was drinking organic Yunnan Pu-erh tea leaves combined with organic ginger. She proclaimed it to be the perfect warming anecdote to the chilly damp day. She was correct. Read More
Local Find: You & Me Cookies Ingredients Bakery Local Artisan Dessert Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger May 05, 2011 Every so often the fine art of sampling in grocery stores uncovers a delicious new product. While shopping last week in Fairway Market in Stamford I stumbled across a local business, You&Me Cookie, that is creating three scrumptious versions of old-time favorite cookie recipes: the original Chocolate Chip, a Cranberry and Dark Chocolate Chunk, and a modern version of an old-fashioned Oatmeal Raisin. I sampled and loved all of the varieties. With one bite I knew I had an obligation to let our readers know that You&Me Cookies are now available in Fairfield County. After two years of successfully selling through specialty stores in Westchester County, co-owners Heather Mahland and Kyle deLasa have expanded their distribution with the addition of Walter Stewarts in New Canaan, and Plum Pure Food, Starlight Café at the YMCA and Caffé Bon in Greenwich. Read More
Honey "Tasting" @ Red Bee Apiary May 29th Ingredients Local Artisan Local Farm Weston Dessert Stephanie Webster May 05, 2011 On May 29th, Beekeeper and Honey Sommelier, Marina Marchese of Red Bee Apiary will be leading a "Honey Tasting" at her apiary in Weston. Guests will learn how honeybees make this liquid gold we call honey, how location and nectar source determines a honeys color and flavor and how honey is harvested and extracted from the hive. Red Bee honey tastings are formal, white linen events where guest are treated to a tour of Red Bee Apiary, a honeybee talk then gather at farmhouse style tables to taste and evaluate artisanal honeys. Participants will be encouraged to engage their curiosity through discussions while learning about the many types and styles of unique nectar sources. Each menu is a carefully orchestrated "Tasting Flight" of seven single-origin local honeys Read More
Tequila: Worth A Serious Sip Ingredients Cocktails Specialty Market Jeff Marron May 03, 2011 Tequila is the worst thing you can do to the end of a great evening. It is the party ender, the last nail in the coffin. That's what we all think about the national spirit of our southern neighbor, Mexico. I'm not quite sure how Tequila landed "closer" status but I believe it deserves a revival. Tequila needs to get promoted to "first string." Whether it's an old classic like the Tequila Sunrise, a new cocktail like the Mexican Car Bomb, or you're drinking it neat, there's a flavor for everyone. Read More
Local Fromagerie Hosts Cooking Channel Special Ingredients Specialty Market Stephanie Webster April 29, 2011
Friday Froth: Scattershot Spring Ingredients Beer James Gribbon April 29, 2011 Spring in New England is pretty unreliable. A foggy morning can burn off into a sweltering afternoon and then plummet right on down to a cold evening. It's like a cat that doesn't know whether it wants to be inside or out. The scattershot nature of the season is still an absolutely joy as the plants reach out once again for the sun's warmth the same way we escape the confines of our homes to take advantage of the longer days and newly multi-hued outdoors. We're going to look into an equally haphazard selection of beers this week and see what we can see. Read More
Friday Froth: The Devil's Advocate Ingredients Beer James Gribbon April 22, 2011 "O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil." -William Shakespeare Every once in a while you have to let the Devil out: take a vacation from civilization and get back to human nature, permit rules made by somebody else to slide by and let your glands do the talking. Sounds fun, doesn't it? Spending all your time trying to be good is just living under the thumb of what you consider to be bad, anyway. Most of us spend enough time crying with the saints - this week it's time to laugh with the sinners. Read More
The Best Movie Popcorn in Fairfield County Ingredients Restaurant Comfort Food Best of CT Kid Friendly Lou Gorfain April 19, 2011 YOU’LL LAUGH. YOU’LL CRY. YOU’LL MUNCH. Forget the sliders at Butterfield 8 or the pepperoni pizza at Remo’s. The tastiest treat along Stamford’s Bedford Avenue could be the popcorn served at the Avon Theater. Like its magnificent art-deco neon marquee, Avon’s popcorn is iconic. Always fresh, these tiny cumulus clouds lightly coated in pure butter, melt in your mouth and stir remembrances of times past: double features, dark balconies and stolen kisses. Popcorn may be the main profit maker at every movie house in Fairfield County, but there’s a lot of disparity, especially between chains and independents. The popcorns served by three independents get my nominations for Best Performance by a Popcorn. Read More
Harvest to Heat Cookbook: A Farm-to-Kitchen Journey Ingredients Features Cookbooks Farm to Table Farmers Market Recipe Deanna Foster April 19, 2011 Cookbooks used to be written for those who loved to cook or for those who needed to cook. Today’s food-centric culture has added breadth and depth to the genre. Food lovers and home cooks look to chefs not just for instruction, but for inspiration. “Harvest to Heat, Cooking with America’s Best Chefs, Farmers, and Artisans” by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer goes one step beyond, showcasing the local farmers, ranchers and artisans who serve as muse to those esteemed chefs. The result is a celebration of the symbiotic relationship between farmers and chefs and the masterpieces created by their combined efforts. Read More
Big News @ Wave Hill Breads: New Location...New Bread! Ingredients Bakery Local Artisan Specialty Market Breakfast Valerie Albarda April 14, 2011 When husband and wife team Margaret Sapir and Mitch Rapaport first began delivering their signature bread to farmers markets in 2005, it was with a signature bread crafted from one recipe. Not that this has been a bad thing. Their Pain de Campagne is what started it all and has brought them the recognition they receive to this day. Now, in addition to the fabulously addictive three-grain country loaf that we all know and love, Wave Hill Breads is proud to announce the launch of two new breads for your dining pleasure (+ spoiler alert...come May, you can dine in their new bakery/cafe in Norwalk). But first, let's talk about these magnificent loaves.. Read More
A History of Connecticut Wine: Vineyard in Your Backyard Ingredients This Week In Wine CTbites Team April 13, 2011 It wasn’t until 1978 that the state of Connecticut passed the Winery Act that allowed owners and winemakers to be able to have their own places to make the wine. Nowadays, there are over 30 wineries throughout the state alone, which made University of Bridgeport English professors Amy Nawrocki and Eric D. Lehman interested in pursuing the idea of writing a book on this subject matter. Their new book; “A History of Connecticut Wine: Vineyard in Your Backyard” was released on March 18 and published by The History Press out of Charleston, SC. The volume, which is the first in depth publication on this topic, talks about history of CT wine before and after the Winery Act was announced, while also answering the question why people should go to these local wineries and taste wine. Read More
Patel Bros. Indian Grocery Superstore Opens in Norwalk Ingredients Norwalk Specialty Market Indian Gayatri Batra April 13, 2011 I walked into the supermarket, mouth agape - I felt like Alice in Foodland! It was a 10,000 sq feet epicurean trove of gastronomy, nostalgia, delectable aromas and MORE all rolled into one. Finally an ethnic supermarket in Fairfield County. Patel Bros is a family owned grocery store chain that has established itself as a destination for Indian Groceries in North America. With over 35 stores across the country – it is called the Walmart of Indian Groceries, where you get a phenomenal range from the subcontinent at the best price possible. Their motto is “Celebrating Our Food… Our Culture.’ And it sure does. It is like having my own kirana store, times ten, right here in Norwalk! Read More
Easter & Passover Eats in Fairfield County, CT Ingredients Features Restaurant Holiday Breakfast Dessert Stephanie Webster April 12, 2011 Easter & Passover are just around the corner, and we've been vigilantly scoping out interesting holiday sweets & savories, restaurant reservations, and catering tips to share with you. Here are a few nibbles to get you started on your holiday planning, but this is just a sampling. If you have come across an holiday event or product find, please let us know by posting a comment below. What's Easter Without Chocolate? Belgique Chocolatier in New Canaan is Easter central with 3-feet high chocolate rabbits weighing in at approx. 23 pounds. They also make smaller sizes, as well as chocolate nests with chocolate/hazelnut speckled eggs, chocolate hens and chicks, chocolate eggs to fill with chocolates, bunnies pulling carts with chocolate eggs, etc. Read More
Michele's Pies (& Cafe) Opens in Westport Ingredients Restaurant Westport Breakfast Kid Friendly Dessert Sarah Green April 06, 2011 Michele's Pies of Norwalk has arrived at its latest home in Westport! Situated at the old Baskin and Robbins location at the corner of Bay Street and the Post Road, Michele's Pies is a welcome newcomer to the area - finally, a great place for a patisserie-style breakfast in Westport. Michele Albano and fiance' Kelly Stuart opened the new pie haven last month and it's time to "sing a song of sixpence!" With a variety of delectable treats, Michele's Pies has something for every craving. From scrumptious CHOCCOLATE/BOURBAN/PECAN to KEY LIME to COUNTRY APPLE to the many savory delights including CHICKEN POT PIE, AUSTRALIAN BEEF, and outrageous LOBSTER QUICHE, Michele's Pies are sure to satisfy. And the pies are just the beginning! The shop opens for breakfast at 7:00 a.m. and serves BEAN & LEAF coffee (single origin, fair trade and organic) out of New London. Read More
Behind the Scenes @ Match Restaurant in SoNo Ingredients Restaurant Farm to Table Norwalk Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 03, 2011 “Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity” - Voltaire The latest edition of CTBites’ “Behind the Scenes” series is brought to you from Match Restaurant in South Norwalk, where Matt Storch, its owner-chef and Westport native, has been at the helm of the kitchen for over ten years overseeing this highly acclaimed restaurant that creatively promotes today’s Farm to Table philosophy. For those who have never experienced the incredible activity prior to the day’s first customer entering the restaurant, it is a bustle of activity. Chef Matt led us past the floor to ceiling wood burning pizza oven in the back of the dining room and down a flight of stairs to the restaurant’s subterranean kitchen. Read More
Savor Cookies: This Aint Your Average Cookie Ingredients Farmers Market Dessert Liz Rueven March 25, 2011 Let’s play the association game. What comes to mind when you think of pomegranates, black olives, roasted leeks, cardamon, lavender? First thing to pop into your head? COOKIES?! Once you taste Andre Kreft’s savory shortbread cookie bites you may soon be thinking about some unusual ingredient and food pairings yourself. Kreft, a self taught artisan baker, launched SAVOR FINE FOODS only six months ago. He has created 12 flavors for his shortbread cookie bites that surprise and thrill with prominent flavors. Read More
Last Chance for Bishops Orchards CSA Ingredients Features Local Farm Farm Fresh Stephanie Webster March 24, 2011 Bishops Orchards is 30 spaces away from hitting their maximum number of CSA sharholders this year. If you have been contemplating being a part of the Bishop's Orchards CSA this year, don't miss your opportunity. They will be taking registrations online through this Sunday, March 27. There are 3 CSA options for you to choose; a Full Share, a Half Share and a Flower Share. The flower share is one you can either add onto a Full or Half Share, or participate buy into alone. Click here for more information. What is a CSA? CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture" and refers to a program where yourlocal farmer (Bishop's Orchards) offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Each share entitles members to a weekly box of fresh-picked produce, discounts & specials Read More
"The King of Cheeses" Tasting @ Fairfield Cheese Co. Ingredients Events Specialty Market Stephanie Webster March 23, 2011
